The proportion of adults with diagnosed diabetes trebled between 1994 and 2019, according to researchers from UCL and the National Center for Social Research (NatCen), who have analysed the latest results from the Health Survey for England (HSE). The report, which was commissioned by NHS Digital, analysed data from over 8,200 adults and 2,000 children living in private households in England and shows the percentage of people who have been diagnosed with diabetes has risen since 1994, from 3% to 9% among men and from 2% to 6% among women.

Apollo Endosurgery has gained FDA 510k clearance of the X-Tack Endoscopic HeliX Tacking System, a new, through-the-scope, suture-based device designed specifically for closing and healing defects in the lower gastrointestinal tract with additional applications in the upper gastrointestinal tract.

Dr Christian Eusebio has performed first bariatric metabolic surgery procedure in Guam’s at the Guam Regional Medical Center (GRMC). The surgery marks the realisation of a three-year goal for Eusebio, who has been working diligently to successfully implement the island’s first bariatric, surgery programme to combat Guam’s obesity and diabetes epidemic. The surgery went smoothly with no complications and the patient was discharged the following day. Eusebio is a surgeon at Island Surgical Center with privileges at GRMC.

Novo Nordisk has received FDA approval for an updated label for Saxenda (liraglutide) injection 3mg for use in the treatment of obesity in adolescents (12–17 years) with a body weight above 60kg and an initial body mass index (BMI) corresponding to 30 kg/m2 or greater for adults, as an adjunct to reduced-calorie meals and increased physical activity.

Follow-up telehealth visits have proved to be highly effective during the COVID-19 pandemic and demonstrates that surgical practices can continue to thrive with the help of telemedicine during the pandemic, according to a study looking at patient volume from Stony Brook Medicine's Bariatric and Metabolic Weight Loss Center.

Patients who have had bariatric surgery may not be receiving follow up care from their GPs as recommended in clinical guidelines, according to researchers from the University of East Anglia (UEA) and the University of Birmingham. Although clinical guidelines recommend that patients receive nutritional and weight monitoring annually for life following surgery, this study reported that this does not appear to be happening in most cases, leading to weight regain and malnutrition

Obesity is associated with poor COVID-19 outcomes how study this is not due to increased inflammation, but instead may be driven by respiratory issues or other factors, according to researchers from Boston Medical Center (BMC). These findings were reported in the paper, ‘Clinical outcomes and inflammatory marker levels in patients with Covid-19 and obesity at an inner-city safety net hospital’, in the journal PLOS ONE.

A higher body mass index (BMI) increases the risk of cancer for men and a higher waist-to-hip ratio increases the risk for women, according to a study of over 100,000 people led by researchers at the University of Bristol and the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

Unravelling the links among obesity, aging, telomere lengths and metabolic diseases is the subject of the study published in Nature Metabolism by a collaborative research team at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth).

Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus conducting studies in mice have discovered that fructose stimulates the release of vasopressin, a hormone linked to obesity and diabetes but water can suppress the hormone and alleviate these conditions.

The long-term risk of cardiovascular events including heart attack, congestive heart failure, stroke and coronary death was reduced by almost threefold for teenagers with type 2 diabetes who underwent bariatric surgery, compared those whose diabetes was only managed medically, according to researchers from Children's Hospital Colorado (Children's Colorado).

The vitamins company Tespo has launched Smile Bariatric, a new division designed to support bariatric surgery patients, as well as a digital health platform to help them manage their nutritional needs. According to the company, the Smile Bariatric Complete is a blend of vitamins and supplements to be used after surgery.

Patients with obesity and the severest form of type 2 diabetes can have their diabetes improved or put into remission by bariatric surgery leading to substantial cost savings for the NHS, according to a large-scale collaborative study between the British Obesity and Metabolic Surgery Society (BOMSS) and the Population Health Research Institute at St Georges, University of London. The findings, ‘Bariatric surgery for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus requiring insulin: Clinical outcome and cost-effectiveness analyses’, were published in PLOS Medicine.

Brown fat can continue to grow and divide, even after birth, according to researchers at Masonic Medical Research Institute (MMRI), the findings could have major implications for treating obesity as increasing the overall number of these cells to prevent or reduce the onset of obesity. It was previously thought that individuals were born with only a finite number of brown fat cells.

Seven-year outcomes from the SLEEVE vs byPASS (SLEEVEPASS) randomised clinical trial has reported that laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass resulted in greater weight loss than laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy LSG however, the difference was not clinically relevant based on the prespecified equivalence margins. Interestingly, there was no difference in long-term quality of life (QoL) between the procedures, and surgery was associated with significant long-term Disease-specific QoL (DSQoL) improvement, with greater weight loss was associated with better DSQoL.

Harvard Medical School (HMS) researchers have discovered that obesity allows cancer cells to outcompete tumour-killing immune cells in a battle for fuel, findings that could have significant implications for cancer immunotherapy.

An exercise intervention programme after bariatric surgery is an effective strategy to improve bone health, according to researchers from Portugal. Although weight loss surgery is a highly effective treatment for obesity, some studies have shown that it can be detrimental to bone health. The study, ‘The Effect of an Exercise Intervention Program on Bone Health After Bariatric Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Trial’, published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research suggests that exercise may help address this shortcoming.

A greater obesity duration is associated with worse values for all cardiometabolic disease factors, according to a study by Dr Tom Norris of Loughborough University, UK, and colleagues. The study, 'Duration of obesity exposure between ages 10 and 40 years and its relationship with cardiometabolic disease risk factors: A cohort study', was published in PLoS Medicine.

Both aging and obesity can impair the production of regulatory microRNAs by adipose tissue increasing the risk of developing conditions such as diabetes and dyslipidaemia however, researchers from the University of Campinas's Institute of Biology (IB-UNICAMP) in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, have reported that this degenerative process can be reversed by practicing regular aerobic exercise.

Thursday, March 4, 2021, will again mark World Obesity Day, an annual event which draws attention to obesity, the many diseases on which it impacts, and the importance of prevention and treatment.

Individuals, healthcare providers and health organisations will be taking part, including many hospitals, clinics and obesity treatment centres.